The present invention relates to a multicolor fluorescence detection type electrophoresis apparatus, and more particularly concerns a multicolor fluorescence detection type electrophoresis apparatus preferable for analysis of DNA, RNA, and protein labeled by fluorescent dyes, and in particular for sequence analysis of DNA or genetic diagnostics.
Determination of DNA base sequence has been conventionally made by way of auto-radiography. Recently, real time detection systems having fluorescent labels used have been developed. In a system disclosed in the "Science", Vol. 238, pp 336-341 (1987), DNA fragments are labeled with four kinds of fluorophore corresponding to every four terminus species, and mixed and injected in a single migration lane for analysis. The disclosed system is a multicolor labeling analysis system. The migration lane has a laser beam irradiated at a measuring position to excite the fluorophores. Lights emitted from the fluorophores are detected by two detectors having a filter, each of which having a different transmission band, thereby distinguishably detecting the four kinds of fluorophore, or the four terminus species.
A similar multicolor labeling analysis system was disclosed in the "Nature", Vol. 321, pp 674-679. In the system, laser beam line of 488 or 514 nm is selected and irradiated to a measurement position in a time sharing way for effective excitation of the four kinds of fluorophore. An emission wheel further is provided in front of a light-sensitive detector to switch over four kinds of filters to select a wavelength so that the four kinds of fluorophore, or the four terminus species can be distinguishably detected.
On the other hand, the U.S. pat. Ser. No. 4,832,815 filed Oct. 18, 1988, discloses a multicolor labeling analysis system capable of distinguishing a plurality of fluorophores by using a direct-vision prism and a two-dimensional light-sensitive detector which are combined to optically disperse lights from a light emitting line on a migration gel.